Great quote and poster (well, fingers crossed!)

It is no longer enough simply to read and write. Students must also become literate in the understanding of visual images. Our children must learn how to spot a stereotype, isolate a social cliche and distinguish facts from propaganda, analysis from banter, and important news from coverage.

Ernest Boyer (Past President, Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching)

Information Literacy ......if others can't define it, then why am I trying???

So, have been faced with the readings for Topic 4 - Information Literacy. Time and time again I am reading about what an information literate learner will be like but not an actual definition for Information Literacy. So I Googled and Dogpiled and Metacrawled my way to .....
"Information literacy is knowing when and why you need information, where to find it, and how to evaluate, use and communicate it in an ethical manner."
(Chartered Institute of Library & Information Professionals)- CILIP.
I have felt compelled to find a definition and now that I found one that makes sense to me, I can look at the information and refer back to the definition. That's what works for me.

I also found an acronym I like that will help me teach Information Literacy effectively and efficiently;
D.I.S.C.O.V.E.R
Define
Inquire
Search
Collect
Organise
Verify
Express
Reflect (University of Mary Washington - 2007)

Phew.... I'm done!

So, after a couple of weeks of wondering what possessed me to take on two subjects ....I'm done! Well, my first assignment for each subject are done anyway. Now to catch up on the modules.

I read a few interesting things in Topic 3 and for my own learning and retention, I'll write them here:

Project Based Learning (PBL) - Students solve carefully planned and assessed real world problems that have multiple solutions. It is organised around open-ended questions and requires inquiry, critical thinking, problem solving and collaboration allowing students to learn to work independently, resulting in a final product or performance.

Quality Teaching - 3 dimensions
* Intellectual quality - producing deep understanding of important concepts, skills and ideas. Students engage in high order thinking skills and communicate about their learning.
* Quality learning environment - a classroom where teachers and students work productively and are clearly focused on learning.
* Significance of students work - help make learning important and meaningful.

Dimensions of Learning - offers a way for students to think about the process of learning.
* Attitudes and Perceptions - establish positive attitudes to learning.
* Acquire and Integrate knowledge - relate knowledge to what they already know.
* Extend and Refine knowledge - compare, classify, analyze.
* Use knowledge meaningfully - problem solving, investigation, decision making, reasoning and analysis.
* Productive habits of mind - critical, creative and self-regulated thinking.

16 habits of mind
Supposed to be related to learning but I see these as relating to life in general.
*Persisting *Managing Impulsivity *Listening to others with Empathy *Think flexibly *Think about your thinking *Striving for accuracy & precision *Question & pose problems *Apply past knowledge to new situations *Think & communicate with clarity *Gather data through all your senses *Create, imagine, innovate *Respond with awe and wonder *Find humour *Take responsible risks *Think interdependently *Learn continuously

Heard something interesting....

I was speaking to someone over the weekend about going back to school. The conversation was going well until they asked me what I was studying. When I replied, "I'm studying my Masters in Teacher Librarianship", there was a distinct pause and then, "Isn't that a dying profession?" After my own considerable pause, a fierce sense of loyalty made me quote different people from the Forums on 401 and 501 and information that I didn't realise I had taken in came spouting out. I spoke of information literacy; the use of technology and the importance of tying it to the curriculum. I discussed the need for dictionaries in each classroom and the need for students to know alphabetical order. I was on a roll and quite pleased with my arguments for the Teacher Librarian. Then I realised, what an an underestimated, misunderstood profession it is. It is up to us and the other Teacher Librarians out there to toot our own horns and let people know that what we do is important and valuable. So, TOOT if you're a Teacher Librarian!